A total of 50 women aspirants yesterday submitted their nomination papers to the Election Commission (EC) for contesting polls to reserved seats for women in the tenth parliament.
On the last day of submission of nomination, Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam submitted 41 nominations, all from its allies, to returning officer Jesmin Tuli at the EC secretariat.
Opposition chief whip Tajul Islam, meanwhile, submitted six nomination papers in presence of all the aspirants. Besides, three nomination papers of independent contestants were also submitted. 50 nomination papers were submitted against a total of 50 reserved seats for women in the tenth parliament.
Among the AL-backed 41 candidates, only one was from the Workers Party of Bangladesh and another one from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.
Farhad Hossain, senior assistant secretary of the EC and also the polling officer, said 50 nominations had been submitted against 50 seats.
“The commission has sent letters to the authorities concerned asking whether any of the candidates are loan defaulter and bill defaulter,” he said.
Farhad said nomination papers would be scrutinized on March 11 while the last day of withdrawing nomination was March 18. “Voting will not take place as the number of seats is equal to the number of nomination papers. That is why after the last day of withdrawal of nomination, the commission will announce them as elected unopposed.”
Replying to a query, Syed Ashraful Islam said women would contest parliamentary polls directly in the future and 20% of the seats would be kept for women. “Polling for reserved seats for women will not be required in the future as we are targeting nearly 20% of the seats for women.”
Speaking of local body polls, Ashraf said like other countries, those would be held in a partisan manner in the future. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had issued instruction to examine the laws.
The AL-backed candidates are Selina Jahan Lita, Safura Begum Rumi, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, Umme Kulsum Smriti, Akter Jahan, Selina Akter Banu, Laila Arjuman Banu, Shirin Noyeem Punam, Kamrul Laila Jali, Hepi Baral, Rifat Amin, Nasima Ferdawshi, Lutfunessa, Mamtaj, Tarana Halim, Monwara Begum, Mahjabin Khaled, Fatema Johra Rani, Dilara Mahbub Asma, Fatema Tujjahura, Fajilatun Nessa Indira, Pinu Khan, Sanjida Khanam, Sabina Akter Tuhin, Rahima Akter, Hosne Ara Babli, Kamrun Nahar Chawdhury, Nilufar Zafar Ullah, Rokhana Yasmin, Navana Akter, Asmatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury, Shamsun Nahar, Fajilatun Nessa Bappy, Wasifa Aysha Khan, Jahanara Begum Surma, Shabiha Nahar and Feroja Begum Chinu.
The opposition Jatiya Party-backed six candidates are Nur-e-Hasna Lili Chowdhury, Mahzabin Morshad, Shahanara Begum, Rawshanara Mannan, Khurshada Haque and Marina Rahman.
Kazi Rozi, Nur Jahan Begum and Umma Razia Kajol submitted nominations as independent candidates.
The JSD-backed candidate is Lutfa Taher and Hazera Khatun is the candidate of the Workers Party.
